Summer Casseroles: Le Creuset Cassoulet Bowl

It's a little hot right now for winter cassoulet or stews, but we are still thinking of summer casseroles like tomato gratin. And wouldn't this new piece from Le Creuset be perfect for recipes like that?

This bowl is shaped like a tian, the round, angled, deep casserole dish that French cooks often use for gratins and other baked suppers. I love this shape of dish, but it is actually rather difficult to find. I have looked for it in many places, but aside from a few clay versions in specialty shops (like Bram) they seem to be nonexistent in American cookware.

So I was delighted to see this version from Le Creuset. They call it a cassoulet dish, and indeed it is the right size and shape to make traditional cassoulet. But it would also be wonderful for other summer gratins, and even as a salad bowl. And oh, all that yummy Le Creuset color, too!

This bowl actually comes in two versions. There is a smaller, 26-ounce stoneware bowl which can be purchased individually: